Local Pensions Cause Huge Real Estate Tax Increases

An article by Austin Berg of  the Illinois Policy Institute: WHY YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL IS SO HIGH, AND HOW TO FIX IT Less than 50 cents of every additional property tax dollar over the last 20 years went to … Continue reading

Pensions and Property Taxes

An article by Austin Berg of  the Illinois Policy Institute: WHY YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL IS SO HIGH, AND HOW TO FIX IT Less than 50 cents of every additional property tax dollar over the last 20 years went to … Continue reading

Bob Anderson Featured by Illinois Policy Institute

The following was written by Austin Berg and distributed by the Illinois Policy Institute: Bob’s Countryside Barber Shoppe is a pillar of the Wonder Lake, Ill., community. Since 1962, Bob Anderson has cut hair and conversed with customers young and … Continue reading

Tribune Ad Targets Sente

A full-page ad on the back page of Sunday’s Chicago Tribune tries to convince people to call State Rep. Carol Sente to urge her to vote against Senate Bill 1229, the legislation that would strip Governor Bruce Rauner of collective … Continue reading

Illinois Policy Institute Gives Three Reason to Reject Obamacare Sign-Up Money

Illinois Policy Institute Director of Health Policy Naomi Lopez Bauman has written an article about the 10-10 rejection of over $500,000 of Obamacare navigator money by the McHenry County Board. It’s topical because there is going to be a re-vote … Continue reading

The Illinois Lottery Was Not Passed to Help Education

Every once in a while I’ll hear someone say that the lottery was passed to finance education. If I have time, I’ll correct that impression. When I attended my second New Members Conference put on by the Legislative Research Council, … Continue reading

School Boards Seek to Make Freedom of Information Requests Harder

The following was written by Scott Reeder, the journalist in residence at the Illinois Police Institute: EDUCATING IN THE DARK As a journalist, I have filed thousands of Freedom of Information Act requests with Illinois school districts and uncovered major … Continue reading

Teacher Pension Tax Shift – State Reps. Oppose, District 47 Board President Jeff Mason Seems Resigned to Extra Local Burden

At last night Illinois Policy Institute forum on teacher pensions, one question from Northwest Herald News Editor Kevin Lyons had to do with House Minority Leader Tom Cross’ having characterized a shift in tax burden from the state taxpayer to … Continue reading

IEA Spokesman Too Young To Know His Union’s Role in the Pension Crisis

I went to the Illinois Policy Institute’s Pension forum.  Got there a little late and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was over an hour after it started. Representing the Illinois Education Association was Crystal Lake High School teacher … Continue reading